Tag: Fern Britton

More than 1 in 10 women experience mental illness during pregnancy or within the first year of having a baby. Here at Channel Mum we know first hand what that feels like so we’re delighted to be taking part in #MumTalk from 11am today – a special event organised by Sport Relief to shine a light on Maternal Mental Health. You can watch some of our vloggers sharing their experiences with depression and anxiety.

Sport Relief cash has been helping people affected by maternal mental health and to highlight what many women face, and to reduce the stigma, Channel Mum are joining forces with the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, Bluebell Care Trust, the Royal College of General Practitioners and MIND. We hope you’ll join us in following the stories @SportRelief are sharing and contributing to the conversation using #MumTalk.

Today TV presenter Fern Britton shares her experience of maternal mental health alongside other mums and dads from across the UK, who have also been affected. You can watch their stories in a unique set of films from the team at Sport Relief.

Fern Britton said: “Everyone tells you that having a baby is going to be perfect, so you try to be the perfect mum. However, you’re not blooming at all, you’re blooming awful. I was lonely, isolated and frightened. I felt lost, like a failure and I couldn’t identify with who I was anymore. When the doctor told me what I was feeling was Postnatal Depression it was so liberating, I felt such a sense of relief that I wasn’t going mad. Once my family knew, I started to get better. Once I could talk to my family and they understood, it was a wonderful feeling.”

“The minute I said the words to someone, help it was there for me. If I had known how easy it was to get help I would have told someone sooner. Having been through this and getting better myself I would urge any mum who might be feeling in a dark place to tell someone – don’t wait! If you tell someone, you will get help, and you will get better.”

Sport Relief is back from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th March and there are more ways than ever for you to take part, change lives and feel proud. The money raised will transform people’s lives in the UK and across the world’s poorest communities, including people affected by maternal mental health problems.